


We know we're wolves

by BlueLion30



Category: His Dark Materials (TV), His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: F/M, Mentioned death of a child and his daemon, Minor Character Death, Obsessive Relationship, Toxic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:40:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28370298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueLion30/pseuds/BlueLion30
Summary: Takes place around the end of the first book/end of the first season. Both Marisa and Asriel find Lyra in the mountains and keep her from joining the others, and bring her through the bridge to the other worlds.
Relationships: Lord Asriel & Lyra Belacqua, Lord Asriel/Marisa Coulter, Lyra Belacqua & Marisa Coulter
Kudos: 48





	We know we're wolves

**Author's Note:**

> Do not own anything, neither His Dark Materials, which is owned by Phillip Pullman, nor "I know I'm a Wolf," by Young Heretics

"You want her?" Lyra heard Asriel, her father say to Marisa-Mrs. Coulter-her mother.

Lyra peered out from behind the rocks, staring at the two adults. Seeing them together wasn't inspiring a heartwarming feeling like it would have with likely any other child and their parents. It was frightening to see them together. Two dangerous people together, plotting, admiring each other's claws. It made a shiver run down Lyra's spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

Not even Marisa's next words warmed her. "With everything I am. I want her with everything I am."

If anything, those words chilled Lyra even more. It scared her. She wanted nothing to do with Mrs. Coulter. Nothing. And now she wanted nothing to do with Lord Asriel. She hated them. Both of them. She felt a twinge of pain hitting her head from where she had landed from the blast of Asriel cutting Roger from his daemon. Her heart hurt, thinking about Roger. Poor Roger. Poor Salcilia.

Lyra felt hot tears begin to flow from her eyes and she struggled to wipe them away.

Beyond the rocky edge of the hill where Lyra hid, Stelmaria lifted her head, smelling the scent of the child of Asriel. She walked past the golden monkey, growling painfully at the monkey's forlorn whimper. "Asriel," She said to her other half, turning her golden eyes to him and Asriel and Marisa looked at her. "The girl, Asriel." Stelmaria said, "She's here. I can smell her."

As soon as Stelmaria said that, Marisa parted from Asriel, staring at the rocks sticking up from the snow.

"Lyra?" She almost whispered.

She didn't wait for an action from Asriel, she went to the rocks, and Stelmaria and the monkey followed. She looked down the side of the rocks, finding Lyra up against them, her Pan curled up on her shoulder in his white ermine form.

"Lyra." Marisa said louder, relief filling her chest. Asriel came up to stand next to her, seeing their child against the rock wall. Lyra looked up and saw them, horror covering her face at them discovering her. Seeing the man who had claimed to be her uncle her whole life and who she had thought of as family didn't comfort her. And neither did seeing the face of her mother who had just admitted to wanting Lyra in her life. No, the sight of them sparked nothing but fear, too similar to a rabbit tearing away through the snow in fear as two powerful predators started to close in on it. Seeing no other option but to run, in only seconds, she turned to flee.

This did her no good. The monkey sprang into action, grabbing Pan off Lyra's shoulders and holding him down to the snow. Lyra screamed, landing onto the snow next to the two daemons. The monkey just held Pan down, did not twist or bend his limbs this time, just held him, and Lyra was kept to the ground as well. Marisa forced her face to be calm, not wishing to have to do something like this, especially given how strained her relationship already was with her daughter. But she couldn't let Lyra get away ever again.

Marisa looked at Asriel as Pan struggled against Marisa's daemon. "Come help me with our daughter." Her voice left no room for her former lover to argue.

She walked down the snow path to Lyra, who tried to struggle away from her, but couldn't. Asriel followed, Stelmaria alongside him.

'Dear rabbit, my legs are getting weak chasing you

The snow fields wouldn't be so big if you knew

That this blood on my teeth it is far beyond dry

And I've captured you once but I wasn't quite right

So I'm telling you that you'll be safe with me'

"I want her with everything I am," Marisa repeated to Asriel when they were towering over their child now. "But I want to come with you too." Marisa raised her head and looked at Asriel in the eye. Given the choice between the two, Marisa knew she would always, always choose Lyra over going into the aurora with Asriel, no matter how much she wanted to go. But now? Now it looked like she might not have to choose.

Marisa looked down at Lyra then. "We should take her with us." She smirked, "The Magisterium won't be able to touch her if we bring her to another world."

Lyra gasped, heart racing when she heard Mrs. Coulter's words. No, no, no! If she was taken, Iorek, the Gyptians, Serafina, Lee, Ma Costa, wouldn't be able to find her. She desperately tried to struggle up, tried to run, but couldn't. That damned monkey was too strong. Held Pan down too easily and so held her down easily.

Asriel nodded after a few seconds went by. "She will resist, because I killed her friend to make the bridge."

"Yes, I suppose she will." Marisa said. She glared at Asriel. "Of all people, Asriel, why did it have to be our daughter's friend?"

Asriel looked like he might protest, but Marisa scoffed, turning back to Lyra. "Never mind it." She said darkly. "Help me take her to the bridge."

She kneeled down next to Lyra, Asriel joining her. Lyra cried out, "No! No!" Marisa picked the girl up, holding her around her waist and when Lyra was dragged up, she whimpered in pain, hand going to her head.

"Lyra?" Marisa asked, frowning. What was wrong with Lyra's head?

She looked at the bruise on the side of Lyra's head and shot a glare to Asriel. "How did this happen?"

Asriel grimaced, recognizing the murderous tone, "It must have happened in the blast when I made the incision. She must have been climbing up the rocks to get to the cages."

Marisa said in an ice-cold voice, "If there's any permanent damage, Asriel, you'll pay for it twice the amount."

Asriel nodded, not doubting Marisa's words even a little. He knew better. If the blast had killed Lyra, Marisa would have killed him.

He and Marisa carried the struggling and protesting Lyra up the hill to the golden, glowing bridge of dust. Pan struggled and yelled, but Marisa's daemon carried him with ease. Stelmaria looked poised, ready to wrap her mouth around Pan, should he get loose of the monkey's hands.

They were only inches from the warm, glowing doorway to the other world, when Marisa held Lyra closer to herself, despite the girl's struggles and Asriel held her hands captive in his. "It will be alright, Lyra." Marisa whispered to the girl as she and Asriel carried her, their daemons following, with Pan at their mercy. Marisa said softly again, "We'll keep you safe, sweetie."

'Oh rabbit, my claws are dull now so don't be afraid

I could keep you warm as long as you can just try to be brave'

"No one is safe as long as the two of you are around." Lyra snarled, glaring daggers back at her mother. Marisa's face was impassive, but Lyra could see a flicker of hurt in her eyes, caused by her daughter's callous words.

"Lyra," Asriel said quietly, "Don't say that. If you're angry at me for Roger, then be angry at me. Don't talk to your mother that way."

"I am angry at you!" She screamed at Asriel, "I hate you! And I'll talk to her like that if I want! Both of you caused Roger's death!" Lyra shuddered. Hadn't she also caused Roger's death by bringing him to Asriel?

Lyra whimpered, guilt flooding her as she started crying again, cursing herself for her weakness.

"Shh, Lyra, shh." Marisa whispered, left arm still around Lyra's waist, holding the girl to her, her right hand going to cup Lyra's head and pressing the young girl protectively to her chest and kissed the top of the girl's head.

"Hush, my love." Marisa whispered to her daughter, kissing the back of her daughter's head again and again. "Don't cry. You're safe. I promise." She couldn't bring the boy back and she couldn't undo the damage she had already done to her and Lyra's relationship, Marisa knew that. But she could keep Lyra safe now. She and Asriel could provide Lyra with a safe life now. It didn't matter where they went, as long as they were together.

Asriel watched his struggling, weeping daughter with conflict in his heart. Stelmaria hissed at him, most likely feeling his conflict and scoffing at it. The three of them were about to be embraced by the golden dust of the bridge. Asriel watched as Marisa's monkey daemon carried Pan over, Stelmaria just at the monkey's heels. He had never wanted to be a father. He had never thought he would be one either. But Lyra made him proud. She was strong. She was intelligent, willful and relentless. Had he never had a child and there had ever been a child he might have wished to have, she would have been it. And now he had the chance, if what Marisa said just now was to be believed, they both had the chance to start over with their daughter, even if she hated them.

Asriel knew that Lyra feared him. And now hated him perhaps more than she even hated Marisa.

But if they brought her with them through the door to another world, she could see. She could see the enemy he had been trying to find for so long. She would see that everything he had done had been for the right reason. For freedom of oppression from the Magisterium. It would take a long time, but he was sure she would see that he had been doing this for the good of all.

And when he and Marisa remade the universe in their image, there would be no reason for Lyra to try to run from them.

Marisa kept Lyra to her, feeling Lyra's warmth flood into her as she, with Asriel, carried their daughter into the doorway and began walking as Lyra gasped, her eyes widening at the torrent of gold dust she was seeing. Marisa smiled, noticing out of the corner of her eye, her daemon following, with Pantalaimon in his grasp, Stelmaria just following after them.

She didn't like dust being this close to her daughter, not this much. But seeing the look of awe on the girl's face made Marisa soften.

'Yes I know I'm a wolf and I've been known to bite

But the rest of my pack, I have left them behind

And my teeth may be sharp and I've been raised to kill

But the thought of fresh meat, it is making me ill

So I'm telling you that you'll be safe with me'

When all three humans and all three daemons were inside the bridge, going to whatever world was ahead, the two daemons following with Pan in their possession, Lyra took that moment apparently to remember who had her and broke out of her amazed daze.

She started thrashing again and screamed at them to let her go.

Asriel smiled reassuringly at her. "It will be alright, Lyra." He said, making sure his voice was commanding so that she wouldn't try to debate this with him. "I told you. We're going to find out what dust is. Then we can see if the Magisterium really have the right to call us having dust evil. It's our salvation that we're going to, Lyra. Even if you hate it, that's what it is."

"I don't hate it." Lyra hissed, teeth gritted. "I told you, I hate you."

Asriel nodded, trying to ignore the sting in his chest at the words full of rage. "Maybe. But we are doing the best for you, even if you don't believe that."

Marisa buried her face in Lyra's hair, inhaling her scent. She had hurt Lyra too many times. She wouldn't any more. She swore to it. She would make sure that Lyra was totally safe. From herself too. And from any anger on her mother's part. Marisa gave a warning glance to Asriel and he understood the look. She would keep Lyra safe. Even if it was from Asriel. He nodded in answer. Neither of them would allow any harm to come to their child ever again.

Marisa saw Lyra reach down, her gloved hands pressing down on a pack and Marisa smiled. The alethiometer. Lyra still had it. Marisa smirked, right hand stroking against Lyra's hair as they walked through the bridge, leaving their world behind, with Stelmaria and the monkey following behind them, carrying Pan protesting and crying out with them. Lyra would try to escape soon enough. Marisa knew that. Lyra had escaped her twice now. One time from London, from Marisa's own personal apartment, no less. And the second time was even more unbelievable. She had escaped from a locked room of Marisa's in Bolvangar. Lyra had escaped Marisa twice. But never again.

She placed another kiss on top of Lyra's head. "We'll keep you safe, sweet girl." She told the still squirming Lyra, who was beginning to lose her strength and her struggles lessening. "You and Pan, we'll take you somewhere safe. And this world and the one beyond it, will be at our fingertips. All three of us will rule. And you will share our power one day." Lyra lived in a dangerous world and they were no doubt going to another dangerous one. But with Marisa and Asriel's guidance, she would be made strong.

'So rabbit please stop looking the other way

It's cold out there so why not stay here

Under my tail'


End file.
